Device for recording deviation from



March 19, 1935.

DEVICE FOR RECORDING DEVIATION FROM THE VERTICAL IN WELLS v OriginalFiled March 21, 1927 l ll'lllllll hl'l WINK?"- G, E. NEVILL GALE E Newu.

ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO I I Fig. 5.

March 19, 1935. v Re. 19,505

DEVICE FOR RECORDING DEVIATION FROM THE VERTICAL IN WELLS Original FiledMarch 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I o a V a 4 4 5 5 9o 6 6 7 7 I a l ai5 \5 l6 V \6 Fig. 8) Fig. 7

GALE E. NEVILL INVENTOR ATTORN EY well.

Reiuued Mar. 19,1935

navrcs For:

5 PATENT o FicE 1x200132 6 Davis-non m ran vaa'rrca m WELLS out a.Nevlll, Houston, Tex.

.- Original No. 1,704,543, dated March Serial No. 177,030, March 21,1927.

5, 1929, Application for reissue August 31, 1929, Serial No.

My invention relates to a means for use in wells, mines and the like forindicating the deviation of the well from the vertical, the amount ofsuch deviation and the position thereof in the In the drilling of-wells.and particularly deep wells for oil, g sulphur and the like,'it hasbeen found practically impossible to drill a well which isexactly-vertical, in fact the deviation of the well from the verticalhas been found to be so'great in some cases as tcam'ount to many feet.-This deviation may be in any direction and the direction may vary atdifferent points in the well. It will be obvious that in some caseswhere the deviation amounts to from ten to fifty feet, as may frequentlybe the case, the bottom of the well may be across the line betweenadjacent properties so that a producing well may be taking oil frombeneath property not belonging to the operator. I

It isan object of my invention to provide a device which may be loweredinto the well and produce an automatic record of the deviation of thewell and its direction at all points traversed by the device, so that anaccurate record may be obtained and kept of the path of the instrumentfrom the top to the bottom of the well.

It is desired to produce a graphic representation of the path of thedrill 'in drilling'the well and to show the exact position of anydeviation from the vertical and the amount of such deviation so that thelateral drift of the drill may be obtained and the bottom of the wellmay be accurately located.

The construction of the instrument contemplates the provision of meansto orient and operate the device so that the record may be ac- I curateand reliable.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a top plan view of the invention,certain parts being in horizontal section for greater clearness.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof. certain parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a side view showing a*well pipe in broken section with ahousing for my invention 'fsection, showing a second embodiment of theinvention; and v Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating aslightly different means for operating and guiding the device. 1

Fig. 'i is a view of a portion of a record sheet cal conducting wires 6may extend from the Fig. 5.

5'1: claim." (on. 234-53) on which is recorded the angle of inclinationofthe well bore in oneplane.

Fig. 8 is a view of a portion of another record sheet on which isrecorded the lateral drift (in feet) of the well bore in the same planeand the same section of the well as recorded on the chart in Fig. 7. 4 I

Like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts in allthe views. 1

In carrying out my invention, I contemplate providing a recordingmechanism which may be housed within a housing, preferably ofcylindrical outline, as shown at 1 in Fig. 4. This housing is of smallerexternal diameter than is the interior of the casing 2, in which it isused. Said housing is provided with a swivel connection, indicated at 3,to a cable or other means for loweringthe device into the well havingtherein a casing of uniform diameter throughout its length. The housing1 may be provided on opposite sides thereof with bowed arms 5 ofresilient material, tending to bear firmly against the side walls of thecasing andto engage between the axial guides 87 attached to the interiorof the casing to guide the housing downwardly within the well in suchmanner that it may not rotate in'its passage.

- through the well casing. It is contempl'ated'that a motor may beprovided within the housing 1 for operating my device and in such case,electrihousing to ,the surface for connection with some source ofelectricity.

Within the housing, I contemplate mounting a frame work 7, so formed asto support the operative parts of'my device. Upon this frame 7 ismounted for rotation a shaft 8 which has thereon a pulley 9 or othersimilar means for operatively connecting the same with some constantspeed motor, not shown, but similar. to that shown in On oneend of theshaft 8 is secured a beveled gear 10 adapted to mesh with andcommunicate rotation to a gear 11 adjacent thereto, said gear beingmounted upon a shaft 12 rotatable in the frame and at an angle to theshaft 8, as clearly seen in Fig. 1.

The shaft 8 has mounted upon its ixmer end a friction disc ,13, theforward face of which is adapted to frictionally engage with a frictiondisc 14, keyed slidably to a sleeve 15 by means of the key 16 thereon.

The sleeve 15 is of suitable length and has athreaded engagement with ashaft 17, upon which it is screwed. The shaft 1'1 is mounted atone end-18 within the frame work of the device and a beveled gear 19 thereonoperatively connected with abeveled gear 20, upon the shaft 12,previously described; The rotation of the shaft 12 will, therefore,communicate rotation .to the shaft 17 and the sleeve 15 thereon. Thefriction disc 14 has thereon at one side a hub 21* which has acircumferent al groove 22 therein to recontrol the position of thefriction disc '14 rela- I ceive a finger 23, mounted vuponvthe arm 24 ofa pendulum suspended at 26 to an arm 27 upon the frame work at a pointat one side of the hub 21 andin such position that the finger 23 on saidpendulum will fit evenly within the groove 22 of the hub of the frictiondisc 14. A pendulum-bob 28 hangs below the shaft 17 :and the weightthereof tending to maintain its vertical position to detect inclinationof the housing, and will thus tive to the operating disc 13 when thehousing is inclinedin the plane of the pendulum or gravity operateddevice 24. V

I also form upon the pendulum arm 24 a downwardly inclined arm 29, thelower end of which supports amarker 30, which is preferably a pen Ahaving ink thereon and adapted to impart a recording line upon a stripof recording Pap r 31.

Said record strip engages with and is moved by a '-ment and extending inspaced relation parallel.

with the shaft 17. The movementof thesleeve 15 on the shaft 17 will,therefore, move with it the arm 40, the collar 41 and a marking instrur'ment 43, which is-extended laterally from said collar to bear-against arecording sheet 44 upon a drum'45 adjacent said marker.

V 'lhedrum45issecureduponashaft46mounted in the frame and having atoneend thereof a worm gear 47, meshing with a similar gear .48

upon the-shaft 8, as best seen in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the instrument as thus constructed, the device W111'be set on a horizontal level within thehousing 1 and held in a properlyoriented position within the well casing by means of arms 5'and guides}?or any other preferred means for preventing relative rotation of thehousing and the instrumentwlthin the-well casingativetothediscltiwillbesuchthatthespeedof rotation imparted to the disc14 and the sleeve 15 will be the same as the speed of rotation of thethreaded shaft 17. There will, therefore, be no difference in the rateof rotation of the sleeve 15 and the shaft 17 upon which it is mounted.

If thereafter the well deviates from the vertical -so as to cause theframe work of the instrument to be tipped about an axis parallel topivot. 26 to a position-out of the horizontal, the frame work will.rotate about the axis of the pendulum 24,

depending upon the direction in which deviationoccursandthlschangeinthedirectionofthe well hole will be recordedby thepen 30 upon the recording sheet 31 which,.'as will'be obvious,

is'constantly moving. K As a further result of the movement of the casethe friction disc 14 will be moved toward or away from the center of theoperating disc 13, thus decreasing or increasing itsrate of rotationrelative to that of the shaft 17. differential movement between thefriction disc 14 and the shaft 17, which will cause the sleeve .15 to bescrewed to one or the other direction along the shaft 17. It iscontemplated that the threaded connection between the sleeve 15 and itssupporting shaft will be an exceedingly fine one, so that the amount oflateral movement of the sleeve upon the shaft, due to difference inrotation will be but slight. This movement of the sleeve '16 will becommunicated to the pen or marker 43 which bears upon the sheet 44moving upon the drum 45. .This line showing the extent of deviation fromthe vertical will be marked upon the sheet 44 in a continuous graphwhich will furnish a visual record of the path of the drill in thedrilling of the-well and show at all levels the lateral drift of thewell bore as projected onto the plane represented by the sheet 44. Itwill'be understood that two such projections taken on perpendicularplanes will provide the coordinates'of every point in the well bore andaccurately determine the course of the well.

will cause a 1 As previously stated, the inventive idea may be carriedout in various ways, the idea being to record the amount and directionof the deviation of the well from the vertical position which it shouldoccupy. In Fig. 5 I have shown a shaft said shaft having a Pulley throuh" which motion may be.communicated to the s shaft. The pulley 50 may bedriven by a suita e motor 90 and pulley 91, which maybe of any desiredtype. The motor 90 is mounted on the bracket 92. On one'endof said shaftis a frusto-conical shaped .pulley 51, placed adjacent a similar pulley52 upon a parallel adjacent shaft 53, also journaled for. rotationwithin theframe .work'. The smaller diameters of the two adjacentpulleys 51 and 52 are pointed in'opposite directions, thus providing-acommon type of speed change device between'the shafts, through means ofa. belt 54* I 50 The shaft 53 has a sleeve 55 rotated thereon which theyare connected.

upon which the pulley 52 is mounted. On the inner end of the sleeve 55is mounted a radial gear disc 56, the outer margin of which is formedwith.

a toothed flange 5'1 thereon adapted to mesh with a series ofbeveledpinions 58. Thus the rotation of the pulley 52 will impart rotation tothe gear 56, engagin with the said pinions 58. v

The shaft 53 has mounted at a point spaced from. the gear 56 2. similargear 59, rotatable with the shaft and gear teeth 60 thereon. meshingwith the pinions 58. Said pinions are-mounted at spaced points upon adished casing 61, .one

end of which is formed into a hub 62, rotatable upon the shaft 53. Thepinions 58 are rotatable upon shafts 63 on the inner margin of thecasing 61. The hub 62 has radial gearteeth 64 thereon which engage withthe teeth upon a larger spur gear 65, mounted upon an adjacent shaft 66.Said shaft 66 is threaded throughout its length and has mounted thereona supportingblock 67 slidable along an adjacent supporting shaft 68 andmoved on said shaft by means of its threaded connection with the shaft66. A marking point or pen 69 is formed on said block 67. and is adaptedto bear against a recording sheet '70upon a drum 71, mounted upon theshaft '12, operatively connected through a gear 73 and adjacent gear '14with the shaft 53.

The shaft 53 has on one end thereof a gear 7 5, meshing with a gear 76upon the shaft 49. The two gears 75 and '16 are of the same diameter,thus adapting the two shafts 49 and 53 to rotate at the same speed. Thebelt 54 may be moved upon the pulleys 51 and 52 from its central neutralpoint in either direction by means, of a pendulum '17, supported upon anarm in the frame at 78, whereby the pendulum will be positioned at apoint at one side of the pulleys 51 and 52. An arm 79 on the pendulumarm is formed with a recess or notch therein to engage the belt 54, sothat an inclination of the housing about an axis perpendicular to theplane of projection will move the belt one way or the other to vary therelative speeds of rotationof the shaft 49 and the sleeve 55 upon whichthe pulley 52 is mounted. This change of speed will be communicatedthrough the gear 56 to the pinions 58- and the gear 64.

It will be seen that as the shaft 53 is rotating at the same speed asthe shaft 49, there will be a differential movement of the gear 64, dueto the change of speed imparted to the gear 56 relative to the gear 60.This will carry the housing 61 and the gear 62 about the shaft 53 in adirection depending upon the direction of deviation of the pendulum fromthe vertical. This will cause the rotation of the gear 65 and the shaft'66 and move the pen 69 upon the recording sheet 70 of the drum, thusmaking a record of the direction and the amount of deviation of thedevice from the vertical in one plane.

This instrument may be mounted within the housing 1', shown in Fig. 6,and if desired, the rotation of the pulley 50 and the shaft 49 may beactuated through a pulley mounted upon a shaft 81 in a supporting plate82 at the upper end of the housing. This pulley furnishes a means ofsuspending the housing within the well casing by means of a cable 83extended to the surface. It is obvious that if one end of the cable 83is held stationary and the device is lowered through unreeling the cableat the other side of the pulley, the speed of rotation of the saidpulley 80 will depend upon the speed at which the device is lowered. Therotation of the pulley 80 may be imparted to a shaft 84 by means of thebevel gears 85 and 86. The shaft 84 extends into the housing and isoperatively connected to the shaft 49. It is contemplated that if thedevice is lowered with a constant and regulated speed, the mechanismwithin the housing'will also be operated at the same uniform speed sothat the record strip or chart '10 will move in proportion to thelowering ofthe instrument, and data marked thereon by the pen 69 will bepositioned to bear correct relation to the location of the instrument inthe well, so that the chart will indicate the depth in the well at whichirregularities occur in the plane considered.

The housing 1' may be guided within the casing to control itsorientation within the well casing by means of the forming of lateralguides 8'7 upon the inner side of the casing between which the springarms 5 may fit, thus assuring the operator that the housing 1' remainsin its same position of orientation within the well throughout itstravel in the well casing.

Fig. '1 shows a portion of the paper record chart 31 on which isrecorded a continuous record 88 of the angle of inclination, in degrees,of the well bore in one plane as determined by the Pendulum 28 andmarked by pen 30. The particular record shown is that of a well from thesurface of the ground to a depth of 1600 feet. The vertical graduations89 are in hundreds of feet corresponding to distance along the'wellbore. The horizontal graduations 90 to either side of the center lineare in degrees of angle of inclination at the respective .depth. Theangles recorded are in the plane of the arc of swing of the pendulum.

Fig. 8 is a portion of the paper record chart 44 on which the line 91 isa continuous record, as made by the marker 43, showing the lateral driftof the well bore in the plane of the pendulum. The vertical graduations92 are in hundreds of feet corresponding to distance along the wellbore. The graduations 93 are in hundreds of feet corresponding todistance away from the theoretical center line 94 passing through themouth of the well bore.

Considering Figs. 7 and 8 in their relation to one another ascorresponding records of a well, the angles of inclination about an axisperpendicular to the plane of projection at any point as indicatedbycurve 88 may also be obtained as the slope of curve.91 at thecorresponding point. For example, in the projection for the first onehundred feet the well is vertical as seen from chart 31, and thereforethere is no lateral drift shown on 44. From 300 feet to approximately850 feet, the sheet 31 indicates an angle of inclination of ten degreeswhich fact appears on 44 as the straight line at an angle of ten degreesto the vertical. Again, at approximately 990 feet, chart 31 indicates areturn to the vertical and on chart 44 it is found that the tangent tofeet chart 31 shows an angle of 20 degrees in the opposite directionwhich is observed on chart 44.

If'the curve 88 represented the graph of a mathematical expression, thenthe curve 91 would represent the graph of a mathematical expressionobtained by integrating the first expression. i

If the curve 91 is defined by the expression 'Y=f(X) then the expressionfor the curve 88 is Y=d/da:f(X), or the derivative of the firstexpression, for curve 88 is a continuous record of the slope of curve 91at every point. Conversely, the first integral of the function definingcurve 88 will be the expression for curve 91.

In the operation of this device in the manner described, it will be seenthat in the device disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, two separaterecords will be obtalnedthat upon the sheet 31 and also that upon thesheet 44. These two records should vary simultaneously with anyvariation in the vertical, travel of the device and also indicate theamount of deviation from the vertical. Each sheet will record thedirection of deviation. Sheet 31 will record the change and the angulardeviation, while sheet 44 will furnish a raph indicating the path of thebit formed in drilling the well bore. This will be a graphic record andas the sheet upon which the record is made may be graduated'and markedto scale,

. two graphs showing the deviation from the veradapted to move saidfirst named disc to control tical will be in planes at right angles toeach the movement'of said marker.

other, so that the deviation in either of these 5. In a device of thecharacter described, :1.

planes may be seen and recorded. housing, a normally horizontal frametherein, an The advantages of this construction lie in the operatingshaft, a threaded shaft at right angles fact that the records obtainedare continuous thereto adapted to be rotated at the same speed and theamount of deviation in-one plane and as said operating shaft, a screwsleeve on saidat any point may be read directly from the recthreadedshaft, a marker Operated by Said e ord without necessity for computingthe change a ct al s connection between said operate mathematically asmight be the case in previous 8 shaft and said sleeve, 11 Pendulum. m as on forms of construction. said pendulum engaging said frictional gearand What I claim as new'and desire to protect by contmlllng Said marker.and 8 movable record Letter p t t i sheet against which said marker isadapted to 1. In a device of the character described, a Contact e frame,means t suspend aid frame i 6. A device of the character describedincluding mally horizontal position, means to lower and a support adaptd t e l w into a w bore. raise said frame in a well bore, means toorient gravity Operated devlce 011 Said pp p said frame in said well, arotating shaft on said ed to maintain a vertical position in o e p e. aframe, a recording drum driven from said shaft, record Sheet, 8 markerContacting Sa i record a screw shaft operatively connected with saidtmember rotatable in Proportion the first named shaft to rotatetherewith at the same rate ofjlowerinfl of said p t and variable speed,a sleeve threaded on said screw shaft, a gearing actuating Said marker,and controlled by driving connection between said first named Saidgravity Operated device and Said rotatable shaft and said sleeve, amarker bearing on said member to make a line said sheet showing the drumand controlled by said sleeve, and a penlateral we in one Plane of thee" hole reladulum on said frame controlling the driving con tive totheeYertiealnection for said sleeve, whereby a change in the A wensurveying mtmment comprising horizontal position'of said frame willrotate said support, -P to lower said into the well sleeve and vary theposition of said sleeve and means to onent Said mstrument' plumb emarket thereon tending to maintain an assumed posi- 2. A device of thecharacter described, includrelat'we to the venieel in P plane and ing ahousing adapted to fit within a wen casing means operatively connectedwith said plumb means to guide Said housing in Said casing, a bobtodetermine and record the lateral drift 1n normally horizontal frame insaid housing, a sale one verneel plane of the herependulum supported onsaid frame, a rotatable wen surveying instrument including a shaft insaid frame, a record sheet moved by said z ig 2 g g housing z shaft, asecond shaft at right angles thereto cong 0 a g nected for operation atthe same speeds as said Sam ousmg an respons ve t 8 nc mation rotatableshaft, a sleeve screwed on said second of said housing in one plane ameans rotatable at a rate proportional to the rate of lowering bf saidhousing, a member rotatable at a speed proportional to the inclinationof said housing with respect to said pendulum, and a marker responsiveto the rotation of said member and said means, and movable to record thelateral drift of the well bore in said one plane.

9. In a device of the character described, a

shaft, a frlctiondlsc keyed slidably on said sleeve, a friction disc onsaid rotatable shaft engaging said first named disc, a marker on said.sleeve engaging said record sheet, and means fcontrolled by saidpendulum to regulate the movement. of said marker.

3. A device of the character described, including a'housing adapted tofit wit-hm l casing, housing lowerable in a well bore, means to raisemeans to guide S 51 8 n said casin 11 and lower said housing, means toorient said housmany horizmtial frame 111 said 1101151118, 5 P ing,means to determine the inclination of said f mpp d Said frame, arotatable Shaft housing in a plane, a variable speed drive respon- Saidframe. a record Sheet mOVed y Said h sive to the inclination of saidhousing in said a second shaft at right angles thereto connected planeand the movement of said housing along 1 for operation at the same speedas said rotatable th well bare to determine the lateral drift of marker.e

Shaft, sleeve Screwed on Said Second Shaft. a the well bore in saidplane, and a marker responfriction disc keyed slidably on said sleeve, africsive to said variable speed drive to continuously tion disc on saidrotatable shaft engaging said record said lateral drift. first nameddisc, a marker on said sleeve engag- 10. In a device of the characterdescribed, a ing said record sheet, and means on said penducaselowerable in a well bore, means for raising lum engaging said frictiondisc on said sleeve to and lowering d 0886 Said W bore. P move the sameto regulate the movement of said dulum in said case responsive to the inlina ion of the well bore in the plane of the pendulum, 4. A device ofthe character described, includmember IOtfltflble in proportion to the to ing a housing adapted to fit within a well casing, lowering of saiddevice, a variable speed friction means to guide said housing in saidcasing, a nordrive, and means controlled by said pendulum mallyhorizontal frame in said housing, a penand 8 -8 8 said drive whereby the.lielafive dulumsupported said frame a rotatable shaft speeds ofrotation of the said drive are proporin said frame, a record sheet movedby said shaft, 13101181 to the menu/amen 0f h b a second shaft at rightangles thereto'connected A Well Surveying instrument ap d to dB- foroperation at the same speed as said rotatable termine t ater l. drift ofa w ll bore in one shaft, a sleeve serewed n said second shaft, 9. plae. ompr s a us n low rable in a well friction disc keyed slidably onsaid sleeve, a fricbore, means to orient said housing, -means to tiondisc on said rotatable shaft engaging said determine theinclination ofsaid housing in the first named disc, a marker on said sleeve engagingone plane, an integrating mechanism responsive,

said record sheet, and a flnger'on said pendulum to said second meansand the axial travel of sa idqs housing along the well bore to determinethe lateral drift of the well in the plane as said housing moves, withinsaid well bore, and a. marker associated with said integrating mechanismand engaging a record sheet.

12. A device for determining'the lateral drift of well bores including ahousing lowerable in a well bore, means for determining one component ofthe inclination of said housing from the vertical, an integratingmechanism adapted to correlate the travel of said device along the wellbore and the angle determined by said means to determine the lateraldrift otsaid housing and well bore in the plane of the component, andmeans to record the lateral drift.

.13. An instrument 01. the character described including a housingadapted to be lowered into a well bore, a device therein adapted todetermine one component of the inclination of said housing relative tothe vertical, means in said housing and connected with said device andresponsive to variations of said component and the movement of saidhousing alongthe well bore to determine the lateral drift of saidhousing at any level in the plane of the component.

GALE E. NEVILL.

